Catheters are widely used to treat patients requiring a variety of medical procedures. Catheters can either be acute, or temporary, for short-term use or chronic for long-term treatment. Catheters are commonly introduced into central veins (such as the vena cava) from peripheral vein sites to provide access to a patient's vascular system.
In an IV dispensing system, a luer connector, e.g., a male luer connector, can have a first end and a second end. The first end of the male luer connector can be connected to a fluid line that is connected to a fluid source, such as an IV bag filled with fluid. The second end of the male luer connector can be removably attached to a first end of a female needleless luer connector. The second end of the female needleless luer connector can be attached to a catheter that has been introduced into a patient.
When the male luer connector and the female needleless luer connector are attached to each other, fluid from the IV bag can flow into the patient. These connectors are often separated from each other at various times, for example, when a patient needs to use restroom facilities. When the connectors are disengaged from each other, the connectors are exposed and are prone to contamination. Current procedures to reduce contamination of the connectors involve swabbing the connectors with a disinfection. These procedures are prone to human error and are often not implemented. Furthermore, when a male luer connector is disengaged from a female needleless connector, there is no standard manner in which to store and protect the male luer connector until it is reattached to the female connector.